The bacteriology of diabetic foot ulcers, with a special reference to multidrug resistant strains

A diabetic foot infection is one of the most feared complications of Diabetes mellitus. Many studies have reported on the bacteriology of Diabetic Foot Infections (DFIs) over the past 25 years, but the results have been varied and often contradictory. This study was carried out to determine the bacterial profiles of infected ulcers and the antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates. Samples were collected from 50 patients with diabetic foot ulcers by using sterile swabs and they were processed. A total of 75 bacterial isolates were obtained from 50 patients with diabetic foot ulcers. The age group of these patients ranged from 35 to 80 years and the maximum number of patients was in the age group of 60 to 65 years. Gram negative bacilli were more prevalent (65.1%) than gram positive cocci (34.9%). The commonest isolate was Pseudomonas spp (16%), followed by Escherichia coli (14.6%) and Staphylococcus aureus (13.3%).The antibiotic sensivity profiles of the bacteria were also studied. 37.5% of the gram negative bacilli were ESBL producers and 31% were carbapenemase producers. This study showed a preponderance of gram negative bacilli among the isolates from the diabetic foot ulcers. Knowledge on the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the isolates will be helpful in determining the drugs for the empirical treatment of diabetic ulcers.